Glass casket.



J. W. DE CAMP.

GLASS GASKET. APPLIO'ATION FILED 001. 11. 1913.

Patented Jan. 5.1915.

. 2 SHEETSBHEET 1.

J. W. DE CAMP. "GLASS GASKET.

' APPLICATION TILED OUT. 11 1913. 5% Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

2 BHEETS-SHEET 2.

To all whom it may concern JAMES w. JDE cairn, or BLACKWELL, OKLAHOMA.

Grass casxnr.

means.

Be it known that 1, JAMES CAMP, citizen of the United States, residingat Blackwell, in the county of Kay and State of Oklahoma, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in'Glass Caskets, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in burialcasketsand aims particularly to provide an article of this nature whichconsists of a glass body, the various elements of which are held inassembled relation by a metallic frame.

One of the principal objects is'to provide a metallic binding orretaining frame constructed in such a manner and adapted for suchapplication as will make it possible to manufacture the casket fromrelatively thin plate glass without incurring the liability of breakageof the glass during the handling of the article in transit and in theburial period. I v

A further object of equal importance with the foregoing, resides in theprovision of the metallic binding frames for the glass plates, soconstructed that the hinges employed in securing the lid or closu 'e. tothe body of the casket are secured to metal strips, thus eliminating thenecessity of boring holes in the glass for the reception of bolts orscrews. In this connection, it may be well to observe that within theknowledge of the applicant, one ofthe principal difficulties heretoforeencountered in the this-application manufacture of glass caskets, hasbeen the fact that the application of hinges to the. lid and bodynecessitates the boring of holes or apertures for pins, bolts or screws,the result being that the glass plates are more susceptible to crackingor fracture than they would be were there no holes drilled in them. T

- A 'yet further object contemplates the provision of a pair ofbracingframes which are preferably constructed of soft wood and are arranged inthe body and lid of the casket, acting not only to strengthen the glassbody of the casket but also to provide means for attaching a fabriclining.

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as are{illustrated i in the accompanying drawings, described in the followingdescription and then more particular-l pointed out in the claims, whichare appe'n ed hereto and form a part of pecification of Letters Patent.Application filed October 11,

and are soldered, welded, rive 1913. Serial No. 794,661.

With reference to the.drawings, wherein there has been illustrated thepreferred embodiment of the invention as it is reduced to practice andthroughout the several views of which similar reference numeralsdesignate corresponding parts, Figure l is a perspective view of thecasket with the lid inclosed position. Fig. 2 is a transverse section.Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken longitudinally of the casket on theline 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detailed fragmentary perspective viewofone corner of the frame .which is positioned interiorly of the body ofthe casket, as previously set forth.

, Proceeding now to the description of the drawings, the numerals 10 and11 designate,

respectively and as entireties, the body portion and lid whichconstitute the casket.

The body portion '10 is preferably in the usual form of an elongatedbox. This box or body 10 is, as indicated above, formed of glass andincludes a bottom wall -12,'side walls 13 and 14 and end walls 16 and17, While-the preferred form of this invention isconstructed mainly ofglass, it will,

of course, be understood that any similar composition of a transparentor opaque nature may be substituted, without departing from the spiritof this invention. In practice it hasbcen found preferableto cast theside walls 13 and 14 and end walls 16 and 17, and bottom wall 12 in acnepiece structure, using for the purpose a y suitable mold of the usualtype.

A peripheral rib or tongue 18 is formed on the upper edges of the endand side walls, as will be discerned upon reference to Fig. 2. This ribis adapted to seat in a peripheral groove formed in the lower edge ofthe lid walls as will be hereinafter more fully described.

As hereinbefbre set forth, the present in-' vention aims to provide asimple but efficient metallic binding frame which is applicable to thebody of the casket and is so constructed that it will not only serve .tobrace the variouswalls of the casket body but will also form a means forsecuring the hinges of the top. The preferred form of metallic bindingframe consists of a air of metallic straps 19 and 20 which encircle theside and end walls in a horizontal plane,

- wise secured in any desired or suitable mantion of the longitudinalencircling metallic straps 19 and 20, the purpose being to hold theframe composed of the members 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 againstdisplacement, without necessitating the application of bolts,

' screws, rivets or any other fastening devices to the glass walls ofthe casket. I

In order to guard against breakage of the bottom wall when the casket isbeing moved from place-to place, as in transit or in the burial period,there has been provided a wooden bottom indicated at A. This woodenbottom isin shape substantially similar to the bottom wall 12 of thecasket body and is, of course, held in the desired position against thebottom wall 12 by means ofthe metallic binding frame above described.Upon reference to Fig. 2, it will be apparent that. this wooden bottom Aserves as a buffer for the bottom wall and may be rested on metallicsupports, on the ground or any other relatively hard surface withoutendangering the glass bottom of the casket body.

As has been previously explained, I provide in connection with the bodybox a pair 10f wooden internal bracing frames. The upper frame is formedfrom two side strips, one of which is indicated at 24, in Fig. 4,

and a pair of end strips which are indicated at 25 in Fig. 4. This frameis mounted on the upper terminals of the spacing ribs or strips'26 and;the intermediate spacing strips 27 These members 26' and 27 are formedof glass and arecast with the side walls of the casket. The lower frameconsists of a pair of side boards 28 and 29 and end boards 30 and 31. Asa means for strengthening the bottom wall of the casket body, there havebeen formed upon the upper face of this bottom wall and interiorly ofthe casket, a number of transversely extending, longitudinally spacedribs which as indicated at 32 terminate at each end at,

the adjacent edge of the side boards 28 and 29, thus serving to hold theside boards in the desiredengagement against the side walls of thecasket. A number of studs or pins 33 are carried by the side and endmembers of the upper frame and project into the body box 10, so that afabric lining may be detachably. applied.

Passing now to the description of the preferred form of lid, thiselement of the casket includes a top slab 38, side walls 39 mitting thehinges 41' to be attached to metal straps instead of the glass walls, ametallic binding frame has been provided for the top as well as for thebody of the casket. This metallic binding frame of the casket topconsists of a metallic strap 43 which encircles the side and end wallsin a longitudinal direction and a number of transversely extendingstraps 44. I The member 43 is seated in a groote extending around theside and end walls of'the top to prevent its accidental displacement,and the transverse metallic straps 44 are'longitudinally spaced anddisposed on the upper face of the closure 11 with their terminals seatedin. the grooves formed in the side walls and are soldered or otherwisesecured to the vertical strap 43 whereby they are held againstlongitudinal and horizontal movement. A suitable catch indicated at 45is pivoted on the member 43 and is arranged for engagement with thekeeper stud 46 carried by the strap 20 of the body binding frame. Abracing frame including a pair of wooden side strips 47 and 48 and apair of end strips, one of which is indicated at 49, is arrangedinteriorly of the lidll and not only serves to brace the walls of thelid but also to receive a cloth lining indicated at 50. Since the topslab 38 is formed from a slab of plate glass, it has been necessary toprovide some means for imparting the required rigidity to the top sothat it will not be liable to break by reason of its own weight. Toaccomplish this end, the present invention provides a number oftransversely extending ribs which as indicated at 51 are formed on thetop slab 38 and are cast therewith. These ribs 51 terminate at each endat such a point that they will act to hold theside frame members 47 and48 in desired engagement against the side walls of the top of thecasket. It will be further meats ing that the conditions concurrent withthe adoption of my device will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasizethe fact that various minor changes in details of construction,proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to when requiredwithout sacrificing any of the advantages of my inven-v tion, as definedin the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, a body member, a bindingframe for the body member, a closure, a binding frame for the closure,hin es-applied to the binding frames for co nectin the closure and bodymember, means for olding the frame members against displacement, andinternal bracing frames for the body member and closure.

2. In a device of the character described, an elongated body box, abinding frame for the box, said frame including a pair of metallicbinding straps extending around the side and end walls of the box and inparallel spaced relation to one another. said straps being seated ingrooves formed in the side and end walls of the box, a plurality ofmetallic connecting straps extending transversely of the box andarranged to engage the. side walls and bottom wall thereof, a closurefor the box, a metallic binding frame for the closure, and hingesapplied to the metallic binding frames for attaching the closure to thebody member.

3. In a device of the character described, an elongated body box, ametallic binding frame for the box, a closure, a metallic binding framefor the closure, hinges applied to the binding frame for attaching theclosure to the body member, an internal bracing frame removably arrangedin the body member, studs carried by the said frame, said studs beingadapted to serve as a fastening means fora fabric lining, and

an internal bracing frame arranged in they closure.

4. In a device of the character described, an elongated body box, aclosure for the box, and separate binding frames for the' 5. In a deviceof the character described,

a body member, an exterior metallic binding frame for the body member, aclosure,

closure to the body member, vertically extending longitudinally spacedreinforcing ribs formed on the inner face of the body member and havingtheir terminals spaced from the upper edge and-bottom wall thereof, abracing frame mounted on the bottom Wall of the body member and engagingagainst the side and end walls thereof, and a second internal bracingframe removably mounted on the upper terminals of the said ribs andengaging against the side and end Walls of the body member, and studscarried by said second-mentioned frame whereby a fabric lining may besuspended in the body member.

6. In a device of the character described, a body member, a metallicbinding frame for the body member, a closure, a metallic binding framefor the closure, hinges secured to the binding frames of the bodymember) and closure for attaching the closure to the body member, alurality of transversely extending longitudinally spaced reinforcingribs formed on the inner face of the closure, the terminals of the ribsbeing spaced from the sides of the closure, a substantially rectangularbracing frame arranged in the closure and having its side membersdisposed between the terminals of the ribs and the sides of the closure,a plurality of reinforcing ribs formed on the side and end walls of thebody member and on the inner face thereof, said reinforcing ribe beingvertically arranged and longitudinally spaced and having their upper andlower terminals respectively spaced from the upper edge and bottom Wallof the body member, a substantially rectangular bracing .frame arrangedon the upper terminals of the reinforcing ribs and engaging against theside and end walls of the body member, a second substantiallyrectangular internal bracing frame mounted on the bottom wall of thebody member and engaging agalnst the side and end walls thereof, theouter edges of the second-mentioned frame being disposed between thelower terminals of the body member reinforcing ribs and the bot tom,wall of the body member.

In testitmony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES W. DE CAMP. [L.S.] VVitnes'ses: v p

O. J. NEAL, r A. F. LULLOP.

